I knew I wasn't gonna give up on having a baby. And I started studying my IVF options.

14 June 2013

MAMA Clinic former patient tells us the story of how she first discovered IVF and the way it changed her life. She is now a happy mother of two healthy babies – a boy and a girl, and she believes that sharing her experiences is important for those who are facing the same infertility problem.

What was the first thing you felt when the babies arrived?

- Believe it or not, I was taken aback. You see, I saw my son and he had blond hair. Having dreamed of this moment for so long and imagined what my babies would look like, I never ever expected either of them to be blond! No one is blond in our family! (laughs) Anyway, I was deeply moved. It was more like peaceful but powerful tenderness than exaltation. I can't call myself a very emotional person, but at that moment I was completely overwhelmed.

When did you know you wanted to try IVF methods to conceive?

- It was my doctor who I learnt it from. I had extrauterine pregnancy operation for the second time and it was right after the surgery… She was holding me and told me not to give up. She said there was such a thing called IVF, which provides a good chance of giving birth to a baby. So my husband and I started searching over the internet. We gathered tons of information, looked through the chats and I found them surprisingly negative. But anyway, people tend to publish only negative feedback, hesitating to share their positive experiences.

Out of all the variety, why did you choose MAMA Clinic?

- Now that you mentioned it, I remembered the first thing that struck me was the name. It just had it all, you know, no further explanation needed. Of course, after I had started my research, I soon enough knew there were other reasons to come to MAMA Clinic, less subjective ones. The clinic has a phenomenal experience and high effectiveness rates. They seemed to care about making each IVF program individual, and when we called to make the first appointment, I was pleased with the competence and attention of the staff.

What was your experience of IVF treatment at MAMA Clinic?

- It went surprisingly smooth, a lot easier to go through than we expected. Preparing for infertility treatment was a lot like going to a long and hard war, but when it came to it, things seemed clear and you have certainty. I think it was because everyone involved knew exactly what they were doing: doctors, nurses, embryologists and administration have created a solid system and everyone knows exactly what, when and how to do it. My personal doctor Tatiana Sukhacheva did such a wonderful job with us, I wouldn’t hesitate for a second about putting ourselves in her arms again.

When the treatment was over and all you had to do was just wait for the HCG test, what were your feelings like?

- Waiting turned out to be the hardest task for me. It takes 15 days for the test result to arrive. And to be quite frank, I failed to wait and did an express pregnancy test. It was positive, but I knew it might be inaccurate and it was too soon to celebrate. Anyway, the weight of «waiting» was somewhat reduced. In the end, my HCG level was high above average and the doctor explained that I was most likely carrying twins. And she was right!

What about the pregnancy? Did you experience any difficulties?

- Believe me or not, my pregnancy was not a burden at all and went perfect despite my age and medical history. As I got closer to the due time, I started feeling heavy and couldn’t move around fast enough. My belly grew huge with the babies that were quite big for twins. And since this could be a threat to my C-section scar, the doctors decided to stimulate labor at 36 weeks.

When your babies get older, will you tell them the truth about how they were conceived?

- You bet! There is nothing to be ashamed of. Quite the contrary, our going through infertility treatment and having them conceived through IVF technology show how much we wanted them in our lives. It’s a great thing to know you were dream children to your parents, isn’t?

What would you say to those men and women out there who just started considering IVF or are at the beginning of their treatment?

- Believe in yourself. Believe that you can do it. Try not to drown in negativity created by low-quality articles and numerous online chats. You are unique and there is no such thing as general recommendation or one single answer for everyone. Do not hesitate to come to the clinic. Ask them anything; tell them about your doubts. Whatever is you final decision, you’ll know it was yours. Anyway, if you decide to go through with it, let your doctor be your partner, so make sure you two make a good team.